How To Search Birth Historical Record In London
Birth records are important documents that nearly every citizen of the United Kingdom possesses. In some cases a birth record can get lost, stolen or damaged. This circumstance requires that the document be be replaced as soon as possible. The best and quickest way to do this is to research the birth record in the government’s official index and then order a copy. Individuals can even use the same index to search Birth Historical Records to check their family tree. In most cases, London residents will only know their lineage up to maternal or paternal grandparents and not many will know about their families from two or more generations ago. The government held birth records make it incredibly easy to not only search for residents’ own birth records, but also the birth records of their ancestors.
Instructions
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General Register Office (GRO)
This government division is tasked with keeping records of all birth, death and marriage registrations in London. The GRO holds records starting from 1837 for all events that took place within the borders of the country. The GRO also keeps a records of all births, deaths and marriages of citizens that have taken place overseas. Most of these records come from the overseas missions and High Commisions from all corners of the world.
This tresure of data makes the GRO the best place to start searching birth historical records. You can get more details of the GRO here. -
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Birth Historical Certificate
Before you start your search, it is a good idea to get a feel of what kind of information will be available on a birth certificate. The GRO index of birth certificates will contain the following information:
- Full names
- Date of Birth
- Place of Birth
- Name and Address of mother
- Name and occupation of father -
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Online
When you are ready to search the GRO index of birth certificates, you can quickly do it online. The online database is free of charge but is a work in progess. Some of the oldest certificates are not yet available. However, the FreeBMD is a great place to start searching from the 250 million records available through the internet. -
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Libraries
If you want all the records then you willl need to access a specific location around the United Kingdom where the GRO keeps records for public access. These venues have birth records from 1837 to 2009 and overseas births from 1761 to 2009.
- The British Library
- Birmingham Central Library
- Bridgend Reference and Information Library
- City of Westminster Archives Centre
- Manchester City Library
- Newcastle City Library
- Plymouth Central Library -
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Assisstance with index
The physical indexes are stored on microfiche and sometimes they can be hard to read. The GRO has set up help lines to assist individuals who need help.
Postal Mail: Contact Centre, GRO, PO Box 2, Southport, Merseyside PR8 2JD
Telephone: +44 300 123 1837
Email: unclearfiche@ips.gsi.gov.uk
